


You Aren't Horrible

by PhandomPhreak



Series: Bear, Lion, and Smol Light [8]
Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Bullying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Phan Fluff, Phanfiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-05-13
Packaged: 2018-10-28 13:55:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10832649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhandomPhreak/pseuds/PhandomPhreak
Summary: Rita was defending Vi at school and took things a little too far. Now she's worried she screwed everything up and asks her dads for advice.





	1. The First Day Back

**Author's Note:**

> This work is for Emma who was "running out of quality fanfiction" and wanted a story that was more focused on Vi and Rita. <3

Rita’s P.O.V.

“You think you’re so special- _‘I’m from America!’ ‘I’m adopted!’ My dads are Dan and Phil!’ ‘I almost killed myself because my life is SOOO hard!’_ Yeah right! I bet half of that isn’t even true! You’re probably just desperate for friends and attention!” I could hear someone spitting out those harsh words as I came down the hall, and I already knew who the victim of the verbal bullying was. Instantly engulfed in rage, I ran over to my small partner at her locker, worriedly and protectively standing beside her.

It was lunchtime during Vi’s first day back at school after she had…hurt herself… and she had been getting a lot of attention all day. But now some jerk called Nathan was mocking her and she- being the quiet person she is- was taking it. Normally, she would’ve shrugged it off and walked away. But after what she’d just been through, I could see that it was harder this time. I looked down at her, and she just stared at the scars on her arms and shuffled a little closer to me.

“Nathan, knock it off,” I said in a low growl. He turned to look at me now, a fire igniting behind his eyes. I fully intended on defending my girlfriend, even if it meant I had to get in trouble for physically beating him into the ground. “Hey, she doesn’t need to be protected by her _lesbian lover_ because she’s _so strong_ since she got through _suicide_ and stuff,” he scowled at me before turning back to Vi, “Or does that just make you more fragile and innocent?” She still said nothing and made no move to leave. “What do _you_ know?” I took a step towards him. “How do _you_ know what she’s told you is true, fag?” He looked at me smugly, unaware of how I had been with her through everything. “ _What_ is your problem?” I sighed in exasperation, but he ignored me. “Do you really think you could get away with playing the part of the victim all the time? Do you think that you could get away with lying for everyone’s pity and _love_? Sick…” Nathan continued to throw insults at Vi, pushing me aside and forcing her to back up into her locker. “Back. Off,” my voice dripped with venom as I shoved him away from her and stood in between them. He just scoffed and said coolly, “Or what? Let your _girlfriend_ -” he looked between us in disgust- “fight her own battles.” Vi’s breathing picked up from behind me and Nathan jeered, “Oooh look, the little self-centered _lesbian_ is gonna cry!” I decided to give him one last warning. “NATHAN! STOP!” I practically shouted, aware that several people had stopped to stare. He opened his arms and challenged me saying, “Make me,” and I lost control. I swung at him and slapped him right in the face. Vi inhaled sharply and bolted off. Despite her short legs, she could run fast! “VI! Shit!” I turned to go after her, but whipped back around quickly and muttered to Nathan, “This isn’t over, you bastard,” before running to find Vi.

I called her name as I sprinted through the halls, ignoring the protesting teachers and annoyed students who grumbled as I narrowly missed running into them. I finally decided to check the girls bathroom since the bell had rung to go to class, so I figured it’d be where she was hiding. To my relief, I saw her feet (and some of her ridiculously long hair) on the floor of the furthest stall. I tried to push the door open, and wasn’t surprised when I found it to be locked. I knew there would be no use in trying to get her to open it, so I just slid underneath and sat beside her in the corner, tucking my knees to my chest like hers. Neither of us spoke, but she scootched closer to me and pressed her side up against mine as she trembled and hiccuped.

After about five minutes, she said, “So much was wrong with that.” I looked down at her, encouraging her to let her thoughts out. “I mean, yeah he was harassing me, and I normally would’ve stood up to him. But he just made me feel so… _bad_. Like, about myself, y’know? It just brought back all of the demons in my head from before. And he made fun of us. So what? We’re gay. Get over it. Thank you, by the way, for stepping in when you did- it made me feel better because the last time I was bullied like that, I didn’t have anyone on my side. But…” her voice faltered, like she didn’t know if she should finish her thought aloud, “W-why did you have to… _hit him_?” she looked down and began shaking again. That’s when I realized- _she_ had been hit when she was little.

Of course! So many thoughts ran through my head- _Oh god, why did I do that? I should’ve remembered! That’s why she really started to get worked up when things started getting more violent. Damnit, I should’ve held myself back. Now I contributed to the pile of shit she’s dealing with!_ I shuffled away a bit, too guilty to even look at her. “I-I’m _so_ sorry, Vi. I didn’t mean to- I just didn’t realize- I forgot abou- I jus-” I groaned at my inability to apologize like a normal person. “A-are you gonna be ok?” I asked nervously. She was still shaking. She nodded and put on a small smile that I could instantly tell was fake. “Y-yeah. I’m just gonna fake a cold and go home…” she got up slowly and walked away. I stayed behind, knowing that she would refuse my help and get frustrated if I persisted. I put my head in my hands as the bathroom door creaked shut.

I know just about everything there was to know about her- including the fact that she has this horrible habit of lying about her wellbeing so that nobody will worry about her. (And that she was scarily good at it!) “She isn’t gonna tell her dads, is she?” I sighed to myself. I had a feeling they would want to know about what just went down, but I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to show up at their house and just spill the beans like that. I decided I’d call them and tell them that way. I was perfectly aware that I had already hurt Vi, and that I could hurt her more if I told her dads- but it would help her in the long run.

I camped out in the bathroom for a while before going home without telling anybody. I didn’t want to get in trouble and I _really_ didn’t want to fight Nathan full on. Once I got home, everyone was gone except my older sister, and she promised not to tell anyone I had ditched. She said it was for a good reason, anyway. I used the opportunity to call Phil. (Dan and Phil had both given me their cell numbers for emergencies.) It went to voicemail, so I left a quick message saying that it was kind of important and to please call back. Within the next hour or so, he texted me and told me to meet him and Dan at the park by my house in 20 minutes (since it was important). I hoped that they wouldn’t be mad at me…


	2. The Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rita tells Dan and Phil about what happened at school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter, but I'm writing more so don't worry!

Phil’s P.O.V.

Poor Dan was going crazy on the way to meet Rita at the park. We had told Vi that we had to run some errands so we’d be back in about an hour, and to call us if she needed us to come back sooner. She said that she didn’t want to get us sick anyways, so it was ok if we left her alone. The school called us out of the blue and said that Vi was ill and needed to go home, so we picked her up. But now we were pulling up to the park and already spotted Rita sitting by a picnic table, doodling on her hands with a marker. She looked just as worried as us as we sat down on the opposite side of the table.

We quickly exchanged hellos before she drew in a deep breath and said sadly, “Vi kind of had a rough first day back, so she faked being ill to go home. I-I think some of that was my fault, I’m really, _really_ sorry. I didn’t mean to make everything worse for her- she had been getting better and now I set her back. I’m so sorry.” I saw her eyes welling up and could tell she genuinely felt bad, but we still had no clue what happened. “It’s alright, Rita- just tell us what happened, please,” Dan looked at her kindly as he spoke.

She nodded gently and told us in detail about how some boy had been bullying Vi- claiming that she was lying for attention- and then when Rita had come to her defense he began harassing them for being a couple. Things started getting more intense and Vi had been freaking out a bit before Rita finally hit the kid and Vi ran away because it reminded her of when she used to get beaten as a child.

I felt bad for Rita; she hadn’t meant to remind Vi of any of that- she was just trying to help keep her safe. She pushed up her glasses as she rubbed her eyes, continuing to apologize profusely. “And now she’s mad at me, I can tell. I don’t know what to do…” “It’s ok. We’ve learned that it’s better to give her some space and she’ll come to you when she’s ready. I’m sure she’ll be alright,” I rested my hand over hers to help assure her that we weren’t upset with her. “O-ok. Thank you.” “Thank you for telling us about this. We need to know this kind of stuff and she doesn’t like to open up about it,” Dan stood up to give her a quick hug before we said goodbye and went back to the flat.


	3. Comforting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan encourages Vi to talk about what happened and gives her some advice on what to do.

Dan’s P.O.V.

When we arrived back home, Phil went to go edit a video and asked me to check on Vi. “Vi, we’re home, how are you feeling?” I spoke softly as I entered her room. She was curled up in a ball with her back to me under a pile of blankets, sniffling and whimpering slightly. “Smol Light, are you ok sweetie?” She slowly sat up and nodded with a half-smile on her face that wasn’t very genuine. “Mmhm. Just tired and sick.” I now knew that wasn’t true, thanks to Rita. I could tell my daughter was trying to play the sniffles off as part of her “cold”, but there was no good excuse for her red eyes and tear-stained cheeks.

“Are you sure? Umm… Did you need anything? Why don’t you tell me about your first day back at school- even though you came home early,” I made my way over to her bed. I knew she hated when we tried to get her to open up, but I could tell this was really bothering her. “Erm… It was alright. A little awkward, y’know, but it was ok,” she refused to look up at me as she subtly lied. “Oh. Was everyone glad you were ok?” I sat on the floor. “I guess so. I mean, my teachers were.” “What about your other friends? Or the other students?” Her hands began shaking and she said nothing. “Vi? Did something happen at school?” That seemed to snap her out of her dreaded memories and she shook her head and attempted to keep her voice level as she said, “No, it was as normal as it could’ve been. Nobody really made a big deal out of me being back.”

It hurt me so much that she felt like she needed to lie so that we wouldn’t fuss over her. She doesn’t like to be the center of attention or anything like that, which I understand, but I don’t get why she won’t tell us when something is going on that we could help her with. It must’ve been the way she raised herself; her “parents” never wanted to have to deal with her so she dealt with all of her problems quietly on her own. I couldn’t take it anymore and decided to just call her out on it.

“Vi, I know something is wrong. Please just tell me- I won’t make a big deal out of it, I promise. You don’t have to hide it when you’re having a hard time,” I said lovingly as I climbed onto the bed beside her. She suddenly burst into tears and snuggled into my side. I pulled her into a tight hug and kissed the top of her head gently. “Nathan was being rude to Rita. She came over to help me and he made fun of her for loving me. He wouldn’t stop saying bad things about us. She tried to get him to stop but he wouldn’t. It was my fault!” she cried out.

I was slightly shocked. I had expected Vi to be more upset about being reminded of being abused, or that boy talking crap about her right to her face- not him making fun of Rita and her being a couple. But Vi felt bad because she thought that she had dragged her girlfriend into her problems, and I thought that was actually kind of sweet.

“Sssh, it isn’t your fault- she cares about you just as much as you care about her and that’s why she came to help you in the first place. Did Nathan do anything else that bothered you?” “Y-yeah. He said that I was trying to get attention by making a bunch of stuff up, which isn’t true- I want _less_ attention,” she sighed, “I wish this kind of crap would stop happening to me so that I wouldn’t always seem like an attention-seeking baby.” “I know, Smol Light, it must be annoying. Did something else happen?” “Well… I don’t know, umm…” she nervously fidgeted with a loose thread on her sleeve. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, I understand. But I just thought it’d be a good idea to get everything off your chest now so it doesn’t build up later.” “No, that’s a good idea… I guess- Rita just- ugh,” she paused and curled up a little bit again, pulling away slightly and taking a deep breath, “Rita was just trying to protect me- and I’m actually very grateful for that- but she took it a little too far for me to handle. She… _hit_ …that kid.”

“Oh, Vi…” My heart fell into the pit of my stomach at the way Vi scrunched up her face and turned away from me at the sheer _thought_ of being hit. I wanted to hug her even tighter, but it seemed like she didn’t want any kind physical contact- negative _or_ comforting. She was trembling slightly, and didn’t show signs of stopping, so I decided to test the waters anyway by placing my hand on her shoulder as gently as possible. She flinched and let out a sharp gasp, but then relaxed when she realized it wasn’t the kind of touch that hurt.

“A-are you alright? Do you want some space?” I was surprised once again when she shook her head and nuzzled back into me. “What do I do? Rita thinks I’m mad at her, but really I’m not. I just need some time and I don’t want her to feel bad and like it’s all her fault because it isn’t.” I wrapped my arm around her and thought for a moment. “I think you should talk to her, then. She’s probably worried about you, and you’re clearly worried about her.” “Yeah, yeah you’re right… But what do I say?” “Just… tell her that you’re ok and that you aren’t upset with her. But don’t feel pressured to do it right away.” “Ok. Thank you, Papa. You’re good at comforting me…” she kissed my cheek softly. I blushed a little, proud that I had made her feel better for once. “I’m glad you think so. I’ll be getting dinner ready. Let me or your dad know if you need anything,” I stood and made my way to the kitchen as Vi called out saying, “Love you!”, to which I replied, “I love you more!” before telling Phil her side of the story.


	4. Making Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vi and Rita explain their sides of the story to each other and resolve everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I took so long to finish this! I was having internet problems and working on a school project so I had to put this off for a while. As always, thank you for reading and please leave any constructive criticism or suggestions! <3

Vi’s P.O.V.

When the next day rolled around, I was nervous to see Rita back at school. I had thought a lot about what happened and was ready to talk to her. I just hoped she was ready to talk to me…

It didn’t take long to spot her- she’s almost the tallest girl in the school and I had trained myself to spot her in any crowd in case we got separated somehow. The minute I saw her, I wove my way through the sea of people and grabbed her hand from behind and began tugging her into the nearest empty classroom. She was startled and looked down at me nervously, unsure of exactly what was happening.

Once we closed the door, I hugged her as hard as I could, my arms barely wrapping around her waist. She hesitantly hugged me back. She would usually bend down or pick me up for a proper hug, so it was weird that she just stood and let me hug her awkwardly.

It wasn’t long before she sighed a bit, holding me away from her, and said, “Vi, what the hell is going on? I’m confused- are you mad at me or what? I fucking traumatized you! You don’t need to make it seem like everything's fine now for my sake.” I looked up at her sadly. Because I had lied about being ok so many times, she didn’t believe that I really was now. I guess that combined with what Papa had said yesterday seriously made me realise that my attempts to keep people from getting worried only made them worry more.

I looked down sheepishly and said quietly, “You have every right to believe all of that- actions speak louder than words, I guess. But look, I really am alright. I’m not mad at you and I’m not upset about what happened yesterday. I took some time to think and relax and I’m over it. I made it a bigger deal than it was, and I’m sorry for making you worry. The only thing I’m worried about now is you- I dragged you into my mess and you got bullied, too. Nathan called you all of those horrible things and now you’re gonna get in trouble for hitting him, and it’s my fault! I’m so sorry for everything…”

Rita took a deep breath and sat down so that I was looking at her instead of the floor. “No, don’t blame yourself. I chose to come to your defense, aware of what the consequences could’ve been. Do you think I cared about what he said about me? I cared about what he was saying about you. But let me get this straight- you aren’t upset about what he said or about me hitting him. You feel bad about dragging me into ‘your mess’ and making me feel bad? You’re crazy!”, she chuckled softly and I let a shy smile creep onto my face.

She stood suddenly and swooped me into her arms, my feet dangling off the ground. She kissed me softly and reassuringly, and then spun me around a bit, giggling. I laughed, too, happy that she was happy.

When she stopped she looked into my eyes and said seriously, “I’m ok, you’re ok, we’re good, yeah? Let’s forget about this and move on.” I opened my mouth but she cut me off, knowing what I was going to ask. “I already got everything sorted out with Nathan- I was sent straight to the principal’s office this morning. I told her what he had been doing and that I had slapped him in defense for the both of us because he wouldn’t back off, and he got suspended for what he said. Of course, I still got detention, but it was worth it,” she winked playfully, “I was upset for you, you were upset for me, now we can end the cycle and both be happy together!” I nodded, grinning, and kissed her again before she put me down and we walked to class, hand in hand.~


End file.
